half a book, “Blue Li…”

On Sunday, March 5, 2006, I had the day off. Thanks to Heather, who led the retreat in Cape Girardeau. Thanks, Heather.

And, I did something that I haven’t done in years. I read half of a book, because that is all I had time to read.

The book is called Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller. I only put half of the title in the subject line of my blog because I have only read ½ of the book. And, because I thought it would be weird and maybe entice someone to read my blog.

I read this book because my friend Jon recommended it, and he is an awesome kid. And, because my wife Lisa said that her cousin Steve read it, and it changed his perspective on faith, which intrigued me, because he is a cool cousin-in-law. And, I read it because I have heard that it is pretty trendy, the way I like to believe my spikey hair is.

And, I like it. Not only my cool spikey hair, but the book. I like it because of its title. I like its subtitle Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality. And, I like what it says.

Miller speaks the language of this generation. He shares his story, his struggle to believe. I have known that struggle, and I know a lot of teens and young adults who have that same struggle. I encourage you to read this book, because it might speak to you. And, if you know any teens or young adults, it might help you to understand them, and it might be a good book to recommend to certain people in your life. It is a kind of (and I know this is a strong comparison) Mere Christianity for the young people of today.

The book is not written by a Catholic, but that’s OK with me. I am not a Catholic snob; I do not believe that the only good books on spirituality come from our tradition. Sure, we possess the fullness of truth, but sometimes we aren’t very good at bringing that truth to those who need it the most. Miller does a pretty good job at that. Read this book, at least half of it, and let me know if you agree.

Here are two excerpts from the book that have jumped out at me, so far…

Today, I wonder why it is that God refers to Himself as “Father” at all. This, to me, in light of the earthly representation of the role, seems a marketing mistake. Why would God want to call Himself Father when so many fathers abandon their children? (page four)

…believing in God is as much like falling in love as it is like making a decision. Love is both something that happens to you and something you decide upon. (page one hundred four)

As I said, I have only read ½ of the book. But, I plan on reading the rest of it, which is more than I can say about most books that I start reading. It is a worthwhile read. I encourage you to consider checking it out, like I did, from the library.